We know what happens when footballers score against their former clubs. They don’t celebrate. But what to do when you grab a goal against the very side you know you will soon be joining?
It turns out: you celebrate, go crazy in the corner, bang the badge on your chest at will. Thanks to Estevao Willian, the 18-year-old wonderkid from Brazil who will be swapping Palmeiras for Chelsea as soon as this Cup World Cup is over, that precedent has now been set. A new rule exists.
In Estevao’s defence, if you had scored the equaliser he did, you might have been tempted, too. It was a remarkable finish from an angle we supposed was impossible, but then after the sublime came the ridiculous which settled this Club World Cup clash once and for all.
It was 1-1 when Malo Gusto had the ball in the box in the 83rd minute. He tried to cross. It bounced off Agustin Giay and went beyond Palmeiras goalkeeper Weverton for 2-1.
A more comical way to take home £15.4million you will struggle to find. That is how much money Chelsea will receive for winning this singular game of football to set up a semi-final showdown with another Brazilian side in Fluminense. That will be held in New Jersey.
Tickets for this fixture in Philadelphia had been slashed to £8 amid concerns that the locals may not want to spend their July 4 at the football. Those who did – and there were more than 60,000 of them – were treated to an exciting encounter between two teams attacking freely.
Chelsea beat Palmeiras 2-1 on Friday night to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup
The Blues’ winner was an own goal that arrived in the 83rd minute at Lincoln Financial Field
Cole Palmer (right) had opened the scoring with a slick left-footed finish in the 16th minute
Maybe the money makes the dodgy pitches worth it for the clubs, though Reece James slated the Club World Cup turfs in the build-up to this clash. James was supposed to start in midfield here, but he picked up a problem in the warm-up and was replaced by Andrey Santos.
That swap was only announced a minute before the two teams walked out of the tunnel, with Pedro Neto holding a shirt bearing the names of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva after their tragic deaths. Neto showed tremendous courage in agreeing to start here and he was performing several outrageous pieces of skills down the right wing.
In the 16th minute, Chelsea scored, with Cole Palmer activating ‘Cold’ mode after Trevoh Chalobah threaded a pass into the England playmaker. Palmer performed a lovely turn, shimmied to take himself into space and away from two Palmeiras players, and produced the most nonchalant finish you will see from 16 yards. It was his first goal in eight games for his club.
Palmer sprinted to Tosin Adarabioyo on the substitutes’ bench, or ‘Uncle Tosin’ as he is known as the oldest outfielder in Chelsea’s squad, despite only being 27 years old.
Chelsea continued to create chances, though Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez could not score their opportunities while Christopher Nkunku should have tested Palmeiras goalkeeper Weverton at the very least after being set up by Palmer. Instead, his sent one into orbit.
This must have been a bizarre experience for Estevao, facing his future employers, and Cucurella did not exactly extend a warm welcome to him here. He spent the entirety of the first half giving Estevao a good kicking whenever possible, as if he had been told the new lad is going to be getting his cushty parking spot at Cobham.
Seconds before the break, Liam Delap jumped up for a long ball. He gave his opponent a shoulder barge, but referee Alireza Faghani decided it was too aggressive as he showed him a yellow card. That meant Delap would be suspended for the semi-finals if his team got there.
Palmeiras equalised when Estevao Willian scored against the club he will join later this month
But Chelsea eventually got the victory and they will now take on Fluminense in the semi-finals
After 53 minutes, Estevao finally escaped his shadow in Cucurella in order to find some space in the box. He did not have much, but he used it to make it 1-1 from such a tight angle that it warranted asking: ‘How the hell did he score from there?’
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez had to be disappointed with himself, even if it was a remarkable finish from Estevao, who celebrated by banging the Palmeiras badge on his chest.
The game carried a ‘next goal wins’ feel and then, Gusto picked up possession inside the box. He crossed and a deflection from Giay beat Weverton for 2-1.
Chelsea held on from there to make it through to the semi-finals, despite Estevao giving them an almighty scare. He was consoled at full-time by his future team-mates who, at last, have seen up close how good this kid may truly be.
